Social economic costs and health-related quality of life in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Spain.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a process that leads to the functional disability of the individual in a relatively short period of time, with a very important limitation of autonomy and affecting the quality of life. We wished to determine the economic burden (direct and indirect costs), as well as health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with ALS in Spain. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 63 patients with ALS during 2004. A retrospective assessment of the use of resources was obtained through questionnaires completed by the patients and/or the patients' caregivers. The approach used was a cost-of-illness study based on a societal perspective. We assessed the HRQ…